DIY Landscape Timber Ties

Railroad ties are often used as landscape timbers.

The sturdy timbers designed to support railroad tracks have long done double duty as landscape timbers. Railroad tie timbers are ideal for use in the construction of heavy-duty lawn edging, raised beds and retaining walls, and when properly constructed, a timber bed or wall is a do-it-yourself project that will last for years.

Timber Edging

You can use landscape timbers as edging along paths or garden beds, or you can use a double course of timbers as the boundary of a raised planting bed. Start by digging a 3- or 4-inch-deep trench where you want to set the edging. Set the first course of timbers in the trench, adding or removing dirt under the timbers as necessary to be sure that they lay level. Lay the second course of timbers on top of the first, making sure the joints between timbers in the second course are offset from joints in the first course by at least 4 inches. Drill pilot holes at the ends of the timbers and every 4 feet along the timbers of the second course, then drive a 12-inch spike into the hole to secure the courses together.

Retaining Wall Foundation

A landscape timber retaining wall requires a much more substantial structure than simple timber edging or raised-bed walls, beginning with the wall's foundation. The trench in which the first course of the retaining wall is set should be approximately 7 inches deep so that the first course is below ground level when the wall is finished; a layer of sand in the bottom of the trench will make it easier to level the first course.

Battering

You'll construct a timber retaining wall in much the same way that you lay a lower raised-bed wall, staggering the joints between timbers in successive courses and securing the courses together with spikes. However, a high retaining wall should be inclined toward the backfill, with each course set back about a half-inch from the course below it. This construction method, called battering, gives the wall more stability and allows it to more securely hold back the fill.

Headers and Deadmen

Headers are timbers that are set perpendicular to the face of the wall; one end of the header rests on the wall timbers, extending 1-1/2 to 2 inches beyond the face of the wall, and the other end of the header is buried in the backfill. Headers should be set between each timber in every third course of the wall. Deadmen are timbers that lie parallel to the wall face and support the buried end of headers. Together, headers and deadmen anchor the wall in the backfill and help to keep the wall upright.

About the Author

Evan Gillespie grew up working in his family's hardware and home-improvement business and is an experienced gardener. He has been writing on home, garden and design topics since 1996. His work has appeared in the South Bend Tribune, the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette, Arts Everywhere magazine and many other publications.